Now that you have graduated from high school, where are you going further studies? Some of you will probably continue to live at home, going to a college nearby. Others may be going to an out-of-town (or overseas) university, away from the comforts of home. Those who have never lived separate from their family might at first be overcome by a feeling of loss and longing for home: homesickness. This feeling could lead to depression,and in time, become an impediment to your studies. So what can you do to minimize it?

Firstly engage in extracurricular activities. Having an extracuricullar activity means that you spend more time outside your boarding house or dorm, in the company of others. Join the glee club or the debating club, take up flower arrangement or bowling, or participate in the Students Committee. The less free time you have on your hand, the less time you have to be alone and miss home.

Then I suggest you have to make new friends. Get to know your roommate. A good roommate is the closest to a family you can get, someone you can share good and bad times. Another alternatives is to be friend a local and his/her kinfolk. That way, you can still feel that you have a kind of surrogate family.

Dear respectable teacher and beloved friends

Thirdly keep in touch with your family (naturally!). If you communicate by phone, check out the time for discount call rates so that you don’t spend a hefty part of your allowance on phone bills. Many cell phone providers also offer discount rate schemes for their custumers. Chatting and writing e-mails are two alternatives that are generally cheaper than phone calls. Besides, with so many chat softwares available these days, you can talk to and see your family at the same time. Just look for a warnet that has program like Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk or Skype, a headset and web came, and you’re all set for an Internet chat with your family.

Ladies and gentleman,

Thank you very much for your great attention

Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

NB: I was shocked because i ever write this before. And now i’m really wander about Bandung and Bangka Belitung..